MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed on Sunday condemned a recent provocative statement by the Indian army chief, forewarning that such a tone could lead the region towards instability and militarism.

Referring to the alleged beheading of an Indian soldier in January last year, the new Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag had warned Pakistan on Friday, his first day at the new office, of “more than adequate, strong and immediate” response to any beheading-like incident.

The AJK premier pointed out that Pakistani troops have never initiated shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), rather it was “the order of the day” for the Indian soldiers.

Related: New Indian army chief issues warning to Pakistan on first day

“It’s India that always resorts to ceasefire violations and shelling of innocent and unarmed civilian population on our side of LoC and then they lay the blame on Pakistan,” Mr Majeed said.

He maintained that India aimed to break the will of struggling Kashmiris and deterred them from opposing its illegitimate rule with such cowardly acts. But it had always cut a sorry figure.

Mr Majeed added that Pakistan’s valiant troops were vigilantly guarding the dividing line in the disputed Himalayan region, with full backing of the Kashmiris.

The AJK prime minister also predicted that India would mount repression in Kashmir in August to restrain the Kashmiris from celebrating the independence anniversary of Pakistan.

“Since the Kashmiris, on both sides of the divide, mark independence of Pakistan with great zeal, the discomfited Indian troops step up their repression in the held territory and violate the ceasefire along the LoC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Majeed also condemned the torture of Kashmiris protesting against the highly controversial move to start yet another pilgrimage to the tourist destination of Kousar Nag and the house arrests of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders.

By observing a crippling shutter down strike, he said the people of Kashmir had once against given a clear message to the entire world that India was hell-bent on hurting the sentiments of Kashmiris.

“India is eroding religious and cultural values, as well as the environment and ecology, in the Indian-held Kashmir to achieve its ulterior motives. This should not go unnoticed at international level,” he said.

Mr Majeed stressed upon India to read the writings on the wall and, instead of resorting to use of brute force, concede the internationally acknowledged right to self determination of Kashmiri people in the interest of lasting peace in South Asian region.

Published in Dawn, Aug 4th, 2014